Safety gate for material augers

ABSTRACT

A three-sided grating covers the exposed outer end of the auger flight and is hinged to a retaining strap which in turn is secured around the lower end of the auger tube. The grate has a handle which enables the grate to be swung clear of the auger flight for maintenance purposes.

United States Patent [451 Jan. 18,1972

Walters [54] SAFETY GATE FOR MATERIAL AUGERS [72] Inventor: Fred Walters, Box 26, Kayville,

Saskatchewan, Canada [22] Filed: June 15, 1970 [2]] Appl. No.: 46,023

[52] US. Cl ..198/213, 198/36 51 int. Cl ..B65g 33/00 [58] Field of Search 198/213, 204, 36, 207; 24/270, 24/273, 68 SK [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,467,682 4/1949 Megargee ....198/213 Fleming 198/204 Mayrath .24/270 Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter Attorney-Kent & Ade

[57] ABSTRACT 4 Clairns, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEU JAN 1 8 m2 INVENTOR F RED \A ALTERS KWWLQ ATTORNEY SAFETY GATE FOR MATERIAL AUGERS This invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety grate components for auger loaders.

Conventional auger loaders include a relatively long cylin drical casing within which an anger shaft with flighting surrounding same, rotates driven by a source of power attached to the auger loader.

The lower end of the auger shaft and fiighting is exposed and acts as intake for the material being augered and it is conventional for the loader to extend upwardly and outwardly from the bin orcontainer which containsthe material being augered with the'open end embedded or submerged beneath this material.

Considerable danger exists with this exposed rotating flight and injury to personnel is common.

The principal object and essence of my invention is to provide a safety grate which covers this exposed intake end of the auger and which can be attached to existing angers readily and easily.

Another object isto hinge the grate to the attaching band so that it can be lifted clear of the intake auger portion for maintenance purposes.

Yet another objectof the invention is to provide adevice of the character herewithin described in which the grate covers the two sides and top of the exposed auger portion.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an encircling spring steel band which can surround the lower end of the auger tube and which contains a hinge bracket to which the safety grate is hingedly secured by means of pivot pin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle on the end of the grate opposite to the hinged attachment enabling the grate to be lifted clear of the auger intake without any danger of the fingers of the operator being engaged by the auger flighting.

A yet further object of the inventionis to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the foregoing in view, and such other or further purposes, advantages or novel features as-may become apparent from consideration of this disclosure and specification, the present invention consists of, and is hereby claimed to reside in, the inventive concept which is comprised, embodied, embraced, or included in the method, process, construction, composition, arrangement or combination of parts, ornew use of any of the foregoing, of which concept, one or more specific embodiments of same are herein exemplified as illustrative only of suchconcept, reference-being had to the accompanying Figures in which: 1

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the lowerend of an auger show-- ing my grate attached thereto and in the'open position.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the grate per se.

FIG. 3 is an isometric exploded view of the attaching strap and hinge details. 1

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe the invention in detail, reference character illustrates a conventional auger tube within which an auger shaft 11 is journaled for rotation sur rounded by auger flight 12.

Support bars 13 extend from the lower end 14 of the auger tube and contain a hearing within the end 15 within which the lower end 16 of the auger shaft is joumaled.

The portion of the auger shaft and flighting within the bars- 13 constitutes the auger intake or exposed entry portion of the auger assembly.

My device collectively designated 17 consists of a safety grate component 18. Thiscomponent includes inner and outer U-shaped supports 19 and 20 with a plurality of steel bars or rods 21 extending between the supports 19 and 20 in spaced and parallel relationship thus forminga pair of spaced and parallel vertical sides 22 and a top or upper portion 23.

Pivot lugs 24 are welded to the crossbar 25 of the inner U- shaped member 19 and extend-rearwardly therefrom, said lugs being apertured as at 26. A handle 27 is welded to the crossbar 28 of the' outer U-shaped member 20 and extends upwardly therefrom as clearly shown in FIG. '2.

Means are provided to detachab lysecure the grate to the auger tube 10 adjacent the lower end 14 thereof and take the form of an arcuately curved reinforcing strap 29 riveted to an arcuately curved spring steel-fastening strap 30 as shown in FIG. 3.

A pivot bracket 31 is welded to the reinforcing strap 29 and extends upwardly therefrom having apertures 32 within the ends 33 thereof.

The lugs 24 engage upon each side of the ends 33 of the bracket 31 and a pivot pin 34 extends through the apertures in the lugs 24 and through the apertures within the bracket 31 and is held in position by spring clips 35 which in turn pass through apertures 36 in the ends of the pivot pin 34. This pivots the grate to the fastening means and enables the grate to be moved from the position shown in full line in FIG. I to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 1 in which position it is completely covering the sides and top of the exposed anger intake. A

Means are provided to secure the spring steel fastening strap 30 around the lower end 14 of the tube and take the form of a hinge buckle portion 37 secured within a turned back end 38 of one end 'of the spring steel strap, rivets 39 securing this end in the turned back position as shown.

A hinge buckle fastener 40 is secured to the opposite end 41 of the spring steel fastening strap in a similar manner.

An apertured stud 42 extends outwardly from the strap as clearly shown and an aperture 43 is formed within the hinge buckle portion 40 positioned so that when this hinged buckle is moved upwardly around its pivot, it engages over stud 42 and may be retained therein by means of spring-retaining clip 44 engaging the aperture 45 in the stud. The hooked end 46 of the portion 37 is engaged by the loop 47 of the portion 40 which is then rotated upwardly to engage the stud as hereinbefore described thus clamping the spring steel strap firmly around the lower end 14 of the tube 10 and securely mounting the grate in the position shown.

It is also desirable to provide means to prevent the grate from hinging upwardly as the auger is lowered onto the material being angered and also to permit the handle 27 to be used as a lifting device for the lower end of the auger. I provide a pair of slotted plates 48 secured between two adjacent bars adjacent the outer U-shaped support 20. J-bolts 49 pass through these slotted plates 48 andengage under the upper support bars 13 of the open end of the auger. Wingnuts 5i) tighten the grate to the support bars 13 and cotter pins 51 prevent inadvertent disengagement; In FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that the end of the auger support bars 13 is displaced from its position underneath the grate for clarity.

Various modifications can be made within the scope of the inventive concept which is herein disclosed and/or claimed.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The combination of a screw conveyor including a tubular casing having a material inlet end, an auger rotatable in said casing and having an exposed material pickup portion projecting outwardly from the inlet end of the casing, a nonrotatable safety grate for the exposed portion of said auger, said grate having an open bottom and including a top and a pair of sides covering the top and sides of the exposed auger portion, an attachment clamp provided on the inlet end of said casing, and a hinge connecting one end of the top of said grate to said clamp whereby the grate may be swung out of its auger covering position to an inoperative position on top of said casing.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said grate comprises a pair of inverted U-shaped end frames and a plurality of spaced parallel bars extending longitudinally between and secured to said end frames.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, together with a handle extending upwardly from the end of the top of said grate remote from said hinge.

4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said screw conveyor also includes a set of stationary rods extending from the inlet end of said casing alongside the exposed portion of said auger and a bearing for the outer end of the auger supported by said rods, together with separable fastener means attaching 5 the outer end of said grate remote from said hinge to said rods. 

1. The combination of a screw conveyor including a tubular casing having a material inlet end, an auger rotatable in said casing and having an exposed material pickup portion projecting outwardly from the inlet end of the casing, a nonrotatable safety grate For the exposed portion of said auger, said grate having an open bottom and including a top and a pair of sides covering the top and sides of the exposed auger portion, an attachment clamp provided on the inlet end of said casing, and a hinge connecting one end of the top of said grate to said clamp whereby the grate may be swung out of its auger covering position to an inoperative position on top of said casing.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said grate comprises a pair of inverted U-shaped end frames and a plurality of spaced parallel bars extending longitudinally between and secured to said end frames.
 3. The device as defined in claim 1, together with a handle extending upwardly from the end of the top of said grate remote from said hinge.
 4. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said screw conveyor also includes a set of stationary rods extending from the inlet end of said casing alongside the exposed portion of said auger and a bearing for the outer end of the auger supported by said rods, together with separable fastener means attaching the outer end of said grate remote from said hinge to said rods. 